Tunis – Mahmoud Baroudi, a leader in the secular opposition and NCA deputy claimed that he had received death threats by telephone from unknowns. The deputy has joined the retreating opposition deputies who are rallying before the headquarters of the National Constituent Assembly in Bardo. Fueled by opposition and emboldened by the Egyptian scenario, thousands of Tunisians swept Bardo square to ouster the government led by the Islamists. Mahmoudi Baroudi said that he held the government accountable for his safety, as he pointed to the Minister of interior more precisely.
Critics say Tunisia is heading in wobbly steps towards an Egyptian scenario. Mr. Ben Jaafar, the president of the NCA, has ordered the halt of the national constituent assembly activities until dialogue between Islamists led-government and secularist opposition resumes. It seems very improbable, though, that a general consensus may see the light. The opposition is too keen to the end the reign of Islamists over power through staunch demands of a technocrat cabinet led an independent figure. Beji Kais Sebsi has renewed with platitude his distrust and refusal of Islamist leadership in many occasions. Many of his peer secularists made similar statement.
The northern African country witnessed its second most bloodiest assassination after the slain of leftist opposition leader Belaid in Feb. 6th. The Tunisian public opinion remain clueless as to whom killed Belaid. This question rose to slogan a mass protest that swept Bardo Square on the 6th of August. Thousands of Tunisians made the call of the opposition. Floating their Red and White flags, demonstrators shouted to the top of their lungs “Dégagé, dégagé!” to Ennahdha.
The ruling Troika is cracking up from the inside. Political analysts told Al Jazeera that Ettakatol has taken a more hostile stance against its Islamist coalition partner because alleged concessions to Ennahda have cost Ettakatol constituents. However, Troika remains powerful. “There’s no coup d’etat in Tunisia. There’s an opposition party that wants to dissolve the government,” said Walid Bennani, the vice president of Ennahdha to Aljazeera.